Absalom Adventures

A PFS Core Campaign

Blackwaters

Adventure Captain Drengle Drenge calls us together and unfurls a map or the Precipice District at Beldrins Bluff – as it was 10 years ago. Mass destruction occurred in the wake of a recent earthquake – uncovering a lost Necropolis after a school fell thru the earth.

We have been selected to search and map the area and retrieve lost items especially a certain two-finger ring.
I am glad to be reunited with my friends, Ddim, Delia, Obi, Miro and Fægir. Delia seems to have lost the difference between grave robbing and archaeology.
Beldrins Bluff is just the other side of the city and Drengle would like us in and out before an out before anyone knows what has been unearthed.

Drengle hands us the key to the Drownyard Gate and warns us that we will be walking on the graves of the rich and respectable.

A well dressed young man hands us a fine piece of paper inviting us to a function tomorrow eve. The invitation is from Lady Miranda Dacilane. Her daughter Junia was lost in the great quake and the banquet is to be held in memory of her. We are advised that we should wear our finest garb and that not to attend would be a grave insult.
A little search through our memories reveals that Lady Miranda is a middle-aged Chelaxian woman VERY rich and important.

We all run out and buy impressive outfits, though Fægir outshines us all.

We arrive at a very lavish mansion, some of the embellishment is very, very old and very, very tasteful. The gentlemen at the door shows us the way and takes coats & things. We are introduced to Lady Miranda who seems mainly interessed in Fægir and dismissive of the rest of us.

Delia embarrasses us by constantly saying CAWE at all the rich and beautiful decorations – Ddim just wants food. We are all seated with servants at our beck and call (two each it seems). Ddm keeps mflipping his knife and the servants quickly decide to serve the food.

First Course: Thousand-Year Egg w/ Pickled Ginger Root. Upon being asked, the servants explain to Clarissa which utensils should be used, and how. Ddim keeps flicking his finger at his egg in an attempt to crack it. Clarissa attempts to show Ddim how to eat it.

Ooh just us as guists. Looks like Fægir has to be the one to make small talk to Lady Miranda.

Second Course: Coda All Vaccinara (stew) including Oxtail, entrails and accompanied by bittersweet chocolate.

Each course is served with is very own wine.

Third Course: Mixed Green Salad including Lobster and Truffle. One of the servants assigned to Fægir to help those assigned to Ddim. They also serve him on a larger plate.
Fourth Course: Puffer Fish – for those brave enough to eat this deep fried but dangerous deliciously.
Fifth Course: Chicken Wings.
Sixth Course: Leg of Boar w/ Red Currant Jelly amd Root Vegetables
Seventh Course: Ice Wine and Baked Brie in Puffed Pastry.
Eighth Course: A variety of Hard Shelled Nuts
Ninth Course: Devils Food Cake.

After dinner we are taken to the drawing room where Lady Miranda reveals to us that her daughter Junia was in the school that collapsed. She applauds our efforts and asks that we give her any information that we find about Junia.

Interesting points – the school has school uniforms, none of the trapped survived.

Back to the Grand Lodge where er are staying.

Next Morning. Back into working clothes. Miro is unwell (no doubt due to over indulging last night) and unable to join us.

Off to the Drownyard Gate. Looks like a storm is brewing. A man stands inside the graveyard enclosure to which we have been give the key. He is chopping the branches off trees the turns and stares at us.
As we unlock the gate he comes to us talking of the daughter he has who attended the now collapsed school – he waits patiently for his daughter to appear. His name is Derris and he claims to have saved some of the children and teachers. He runs off and we follow him.

Arriving at a classroom of 10 students all in uniform with a teacher at the front – all are talking but we hear nothing. Ghosts Perhaps?
None of the children match Junia. The man seems to be talking to the teacher but something is wrong. Obi thinks the people in the classroom are being influenced by Derris in his madness. Obi tries to break his concentration, he succeeds but only for a bare instant. He and the teacher leave the classroom to show us the way, weaving in and out of the classrooms – or remains thereof.

Around the edge of the water (waist deep) we find the top portion of an arm sticking above the water – out in the middle of course. Derris claims the teacher informed him that the entrance is beneath that arm. A tied off Ddim wanders out to have a look. The arm is severed and something is growing off the arm. Ddim yanks the arms which is attached to a ring. A big – giant – bug appears out of the water.

Battle ensues. We win. Ddim takes healing then heads back out to the ring and yanks it out. It’s like pulling the plug out of a bath. Will Ddim go down the plug hole – Yes taking damage as he goes. Derris jumps in the water and also gets sucked down. After a while all the water gurgles down, leaving a 5’ wide shaft with convenient hand holes – for humans of course – of which we have only one. Most of us are little folk.

Along a corridor then down some stairs 5’ to 6’. Lets explore the passages as we go. We look like we’re into the Necropolis. Derris is still with us as we find a well preserved body of a boy in a school uniform.

A large bugbear – make that undead bugbear appears wielding a Morningstar and a javelin. It hits Ddim. Ddim gets a return hit and a bite that dispatches the bugbear. Obi is upset that no one noticed his inspiring speech. We look for a source of magic in the room, it is in the pile of rubble near the door – we find a ring – but not the special one we are looking for.

More exploring, lots of skeletal remains in one room – uninteresting.

In the centre of one room are 12 children sitting on the floor. One seems to be telling a tale, silently but with much gesticulation. Derris rushes past us saying, “It’s her, It’s her” or he tries to only to be stopped by Ddim. Derris casts a colourful spell that affects nobody. Ddim and Fægir then attack him showing flare and style with their attacks. Out come 3 ghouls. Obi casts grease – 1 ghoul falls over and Derris nearly falls.
Da Claw, Da Claw as the ghoul attacks. Ddim is statuesque, it sometimes happens when a ghoul attacks. It is now up to the paladin. Fægir attempts to grapple Derris and succeeds. Fægir places Derris outside the greased area and keeps a gentle hold until his actions are clear – which is to cast a spell at Fægir. Fortunately it had not effect.

In the end we are victorious, Derris is still alive and mad. Ddim knocks him unconscious. Whil Derris is unconscious the spirits do not move. One of the corpses in the niche has a really nice magical shield. Also a magical set of full plate armour. Fægir tries on the armou7r which has the symbol of Taldor on it. We tie Derris up for our safety and his. Ddim suggests hitting him so that his mouth swells preventing speech.

Next door, the soiund of the sea. As each wave hits the water rises thru cracks in the floor. A future blow hol? Ddim steps in. Blinded by the seaspray that accompanies each wave rising thru the floor. The paladin thinks we are below sealevel. The effects of the seaspray are repeated to Delia, whe did no seem to have heard the first time. Fægir senses the presence of evil – another ghoul appears running up to Ddim and attacking, delivering some sort of poison.

We contemplate wether or not a lit Paladin’s Fart would do holy damage, as Delia thinks about casting burning hands from behind the paladin. She move forward, only to have the paladin move between her and what we now think is a ghast. This undead creature has a gold crown and sparkling jewelry. I cast magic stone only to have my slingshot go nowhere near the ghast. The paladin smites the hell out of it. Time to loot the area. Opening a sarcophagus reveal a girl in a school uniform wearing the twofinger ring we are seeking. She’s alive. Heal her – no effect – leave the ring on her and take he body with us. We suspect the ring is a ring of sustenance. Loot the rest of the contents. When Derris is releases he runs away.

We return the ring to Drengle and Junia to Lady Miranda – who needless to say is incredibly grateful.
Heaps of people want to know about the necropolis – eventually the town guard puts it under lock and key.